Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-05
CITY AND DISTRICT.


sPURTED INTO FAME.
4 Washington Wheeiman Who has
Won Many Races.
crfsf rHs LEADING AMATEUR, AND Bn HEoosp
rrB YrAR-BrNDLEs OF MUSCLES THAT ENABLED
Brn 70 MAKE HIS FAMOUS sPUKr-THK Trophies HR
EAs wox-rHR srokY oAkEKR on A BICYCLE
While Washington 10 q great city FOR bicycling
the wheelmen IS q general thing devote but little
attention 70 bicycle racing. The majority OF
them their wheels more for convenience In get
ting about the city quickly than In attempting TO
make good time on the race track Nevertheless
washington boasts a wheelman who Is the un-
doubted champion amateur rider or the country.
Everybody who IL at all interested In wheeling
knows that W. z. Crist, OF the Capital Bicycle
Club. is an unusually speedy rider, but compare
lively few people have watched the results Of bcy-
Gle contests In different parts Of the country
closely enough TO be aware that young Crist can
defeat anyone in the country on the wheel out.
side the professional ranks Some OF the few who
have reached this conclusion are satisfied that he
In O faster rider even than Hendee, the springfield
psf, q professional and are not so sure out
that with proper handling he Is able 10 cross the
tape ahead OF Rowe, the Lynn phenomenon, also
professional
HrGHAMs OPINION.
Harry Hlgham, the ex-professional racer, said TO
about Crist: "He Ia without doubt, the best ANA
tsur In the country, and, In my opinion, he Is a
better man than Geo Hendee don't know how
ne would stand against the myers on tne otn ss
could give them all the racing they want The
boy II good one, and IL improving all the time. 1
well remember tue 1rst time i saw him IL was
abont nve years ago, when l was working for
ScrfDner. He was a chunky, well-knit boy and
came into the shop 70 see serioner about ouying
turned 70 me aud laughingly said, IN q low voice:
The Kid Is talking about racing, and he's never
steo 1 O Cooking al machine, and said: Yes and
he'll get there, TOO And ] wasn't mistaken j
saw that ne had the build OF rider"
not YET AT HIS BEST.
Crist Is not yet twenty-one years old, and the
knowing say that no one can tell what he Will
do when be reaches his prime and has been care
fully trained. he has oeel riding wheel about
nve years, but has been on the track only lhree
years his nrst race " $ In 1854. when he entered
The 2mile novice race In the spring races OF the
Capital Bicycle Club. he finished 5 cond 70 Web
ber the star rider Of Smthvllie, who Was riding In
dsy sat satisned ali who saw him that he was drs-
tined TO become a speedy rider. he was the nap
pest boy In Washington, and to-day prizes the
highly than any OF the hundred he has since cap
tured- From that time he las steadily improved
NOV ne Is young man e odnaas 10 ,rsiS1na
less than 100 thoroughly athletic In build, and
above all OF excellent habits. He has The strength,
racer He Is well developed throughout, without a
weak spot about him; although, II anything, his
legs are his best points When he strips ior race
the muscles OF his arms and chest show up well,
Dur his calves look like bundle OF whip cords,
while the muscles Just above the knee are aonor-
NAL In their development
TIE cRrsT sPrRr.
All these good points combine 10 enable him TO
make his remarkable squirt at the finish which
has 50 OFTEN carried him 70 victory. No matter
how hot the pace is he Is never so winded that he
cannot go faster when coming down the stretch.
The Crist squirt has disheartened many flyer who
was conndent that the victory belonged TO him
Crfst Is generally satisfied DE can hold has man
up 70 the last quarter. Then he lowers his head
30 that his nose almost ruOs the tire and spurts
Ike a demon Neither he nor anybody else can
keep such pace long. but he is generally able TO
Keep IL long enough To iss his man Ike u2sn
and hold hun back until the line Is crossed
An OPINION OF RIVAL
PHI 8. Brown has ridden with and against
Crfst oftener than any other rider. He accom-
panied him In nearly all his racing tours during
the past season, and be regards him as head and
shoulders above all amateurs. ''Crist's final
spur" said be 10 STAR reporter us the secret OF
his success He never knows when he Is beaten.
and Is therefore never too tired TO make It. have
offer tried TO make the pace 50 hot that the squirt
would not be forthcoming, but have generally
failed ! have become used TO 1t now, but tue rrst
time met him on the track thought had the
o ssed me 80 fast that fe.t as II was standing
still have since learned that the squirt Is but OF
snort Duration, but IL generally takes the heart
Out Of . stranger, and ne doesn't Try 70 even hold
him"
HIS DEFEAT BY RICE.
Although Crist IL generally regarded as the
champion amateur. he does not hold that title, for
he was beaten in Cleveland In the one-me cham.
self does not think he was beaten. The majority
of witnesses thought that the race ought 20 have
Crist spurted In the stretch and the TWO wheels
crossed the line almost simultaneously, but the
Washington boy was riding The faster and rod
ahead A good many people think that Crist held
his opponent 100 cheaply In this instance, and was
superiority later BY easily defeating Rich at Hart
ford II the mile race, and by leading him nearly q
hundred yards in the Smile lap race he met
Rich In four races, and won three OF them Another
man who succeeded In winning a race from Crist
this year was Powers, or Canada. Before
% Ssi up q match race between Rich, Powers, and
himself, each 10 offer the championship prizes
won 6y them as trophies, but neither would ac-
won aeariy q thousand dollars worth OF prizes
during the past season, and his room is adorned
with pictures. clocks, and all kinds OF decorative
and u,erul articles which he has captured while a
bureau drawer Is entirely full OF medals In cases
cxIsr's RECORD.
HIS best mile was In 2 :Ss Is, made at Roseville
IN The one-mile As limit race During the season
he has hidden In nftS races, winning thirty Eight
nrs. prizes, eight second prizes, dropping out OF
Three handicap races, and having one fall which
prevented bis mounting bis machine.
The following Is nis record: Woodstock, Ontario
four races, Two winners, two seconds. Hagerstown
Nd, thre Races, TWO winners, one fall. Cham,
picnship, I'VE miles Washington, D. c. Baltl-
more, Nd, i've Races, four winners, one seconn
Wlkrsoarre, Pa, seven races, six winnerA one
second Cleveland, Ohio, seven races, four wiuners
two seconds dropped out OF one handicap. Rose.
vile, " j., August 20 four races, four winners
wlinamsport, Pa, i've winners. Hartford. Conn
two wnnerA kosevilie, y. J., september II, four
races, three winners, dropped out vi one handicap
Albany. " T., two races one winner, dropped out
Of one handicap Atlanta, Ga, i've races. four
winners, one second Baltimore one second
NOT FOR JOCKEYS
The Broad striped shirts and the Men